MCQs with Answers on “Partition of Palestine: Origins of the Conflict”

• a) 1945
• b) 1947
• c) 1948
• d) 1950

Answer: b) 1947
Explanation: The United Nations proposed the partition plan for Palestine in 1947, aiming to divide the region into separate Jewish and Arab states.

• a) League of Nations
• b) United Nations
• c) Arab League
• d) NATO

Answer: b) United Nations
Explanation: The United Nations was responsible for the partition plan, which was approved by the General Assembly in November 1947.

• a) Palestinian Arabs
• b) Palestinian Jews
• c) British Government
• d) Both Palestinian Jews and Arabs

Answer: b) Palestinian Jews
Explanation: While Jews accepted the UN partition plan, the Palestinian Arabs and the Arab states rejected it.

• a) Golda Meir
• b) David Ben-Gurion
• c) Menachem Begin
• d) Yitzhak Rabin

Answer: b) David Ben-Gurion
Explanation: David Ben-Gurion was the leader of the Jewish community in Palestine and later became Israel’s first Prime Minister.

• a) It gave more land to the Jewish population
• b) They wanted a single democratic state
• c) It ignored their religious concerns
• d) They were opposed to international interference

Answer: a) It gave more land to the Jewish population
Explanation: Palestinian Arabs rejected the plan because they believed it unfairly allocated a larger portion of land to the Jewish population, despite them being a minority.

• a) Peaceful coexistence between Jews and Arabs
• b) The creation of Israel and an Arab state
• c) A prolonged conflict and the creation of Israel
• d) Full independence for Palestine

Answer: c) A prolonged conflict and the creation of Israel
Explanation: The plan led to the establishment of the state of Israel, but it also sparked conflict between Jews and Arabs, resulting in multiple wars.

• a) Jerusalem and the West Bank
• b) Tel Aviv and the Negev Desert
• c) Haifa and the Galilee
• d) Gaza Strip and Sinai Peninsula

Answer: c) Haifa and the Galilee
Explanation: The 1947 UN partition plan proposed that the Jewish state would include the coastal plain, Haifa, and the Galilee region.

• a) Religious differences
• b) Territorial disputes
• c) Economic competition
• d) European colonialism

Answer: b) Territorial disputes
Explanation: The main cause of the conflict was territorial disputes, as both Jews and Arabs claimed the land of Palestine as their own.

• a) Jordan
• b) Egypt
• c) Lebanon
• d) Iraq

Answer: a) Jordan
Explanation: Jordan was the first Arab country to recognize Israel after its declaration of independence in 1948, after the 1948 Arab-Israeli War.

• a) The establishment of a Palestinian state
• b) The defeat of the Jewish forces
• c) The establishment of the state of Israel and expansion of its territory
• d) The complete withdrawal of foreign powers from Palestine

Answer: c) The establishment of the state of Israel and expansion of its territory
Explanation: The war ended with the establishment of Israel and the expansion of its territory beyond the 1947 UN partition plan.

• a) Britain
• b) France
• c) United States
• d) Italy

Answer: a) Britain
Explanation: Britain was the mandatory power in Palestine from 1917 to 1948, overseeing the region under the League of Nations mandate.

• a) The 1948 Arab-Israeli War
• b) The UN partition plan of 1947
• c) The signing of the Oslo Accords
• d) The creation of the Jewish National Fund

Answer: a) The 1948 Arab-Israeli War
Explanation: The 1948 Arab-Israeli War led to the displacement of hundreds of thousands of Palestinians, creating a refugee crisis that continues today.

• a) Tel Aviv
• b) Haifa
• c) Jerusalem
• d) Gaza

Answer: c) Jerusalem
Explanation: The UN partition plan proposed making Jerusalem an international city due to its religious significance to both Jews and Arabs.

• a) United States
• b) Soviet Union
• c) United Kingdom
• d) France

Answer: b) Soviet Union
Explanation: The Soviet Union was the first major world power to recognize the newly declared state of Israel in 1948, followed by the United States.

• a) Support the creation of a Jewish state
• b) Establish a single Arab state in Palestine
• c) Establish a neutral zone between Jews and Arabs
• d) Protect the rights of Jewish settlers in Palestine

Answer: b) Establish a single Arab state in Palestine
Explanation: The Arab League aimed to establish a single Arab state in Palestine, rejecting the UN partition plan and the establishment of a Jewish state.

• a) Menachem Begin
• b) David Ben-Gurion
• c) Yitzhak Rabin
• d) Golda Meir

Answer: b) David Ben-Gurion
Explanation: David Ben-Gurion is considered the founding father of the state of Israel, serving as its first Prime Minister and a key figure in the Zionist movement.

• a) League of Nations
• b) United Nations General Assembly
• c) European Union
• d) Arab League

Answer: b) United Nations General Assembly
Explanation: The United Nations General Assembly approved the partition plan for Palestine on November 29, 1947, recommending the division of the territory into separate Jewish and Arab states.

• a) They supported Jewish migration to Palestine.
• b) They fought alongside the Arabs against the Jews.
• c) They stayed neutral throughout the conflict.
• d) They helped both Jews and Arabs form their own states.

Answer: a) They supported Jewish migration to Palestine.
Explanation: The British government supported Jewish migration to Palestine through the Balfour Declaration in 1917, which promised to support the establishment of a Jewish homeland in the region.

• a) It promised a Jewish homeland in Palestine.
• b) It endorsed Arab independence in the Middle East.
• c) It called for the partition of Palestine.
• d) It granted Palestine independence from the Ottoman Empire.

Answer: a) It promised a Jewish homeland in Palestine.
Explanation: The Balfour Declaration, issued by the British government in 1917, promised support for the establishment of a national home for the Jewish people in Palestine.

• a) The assassination of King Abdullah of Jordan
• b) The declaration of the state of Israel
• c) The establishment of the PLO
• d) The signing of the Oslo Accords

Answer: b) The declaration of the state of Israel
Explanation: The Arab-Israeli War of 1948 broke out immediately after the declaration of the state of Israel on May 14, 1948, when neighboring Arab states attacked the newly-formed state.

• a) Egypt, Syria, Jordan, Lebanon, Iraq
• b) United States, Britain, France, Egypt
• c) Soviet Union, United States, Israel
• d) Israel, Egypt, Syria, Lebanon, Iraq

Answer: a) Egypt, Syria, Jordan, Lebanon, Iraq
Explanation: The 1948 Arab-Israeli War involved neighboring Arab countries including Egypt, Syria, Jordan, Lebanon, and Iraq, which attacked Israel after its declaration of independence.

• a) It was placed under Israeli control.
• b) It was divided between Israel and Jordan.
• c) It became an international city.
• d) It was annexed by Egypt.

Answer: c) It became an international city.
Explanation: The UN partition plan proposed Jerusalem be an international city, administered by the UN due to its religious significance to Jews, Christians, and Muslims.

• a) United States
• b) Soviet Union
• c) Egypt
• d) Saudi Arabia

Answer: c) Egypt
Explanation: Egypt, along with other Arab states, rejected the 1947 UN Partition Plan, refusing to accept the division of Palestine into separate Jewish and Arab states.

• a) Many were able to return to their homes.
• b) Many were displaced and became refugees.
• c) They gained control over parts of Palestine.
• d) They were offered citizenship in Jordan.

Answer: b) Many were displaced and became refugees.
Explanation: The 1948 Arab-Israeli War caused the displacement of hundreds of thousands of Palestinian Arabs, leading to a refugee crisis that persists today.

• a) Yitzhak Rabin
• b) Golda Meir
• c) David Ben-Gurion
• d) Chaim Weizmann

Answer: d) Chaim Weizmann
Explanation: Chaim Weizmann was the first President of the State of Israel, serving from 1949 until his death in 1952.

• a) It resulted in an immediate peace settlement.
• b) It led to the declaration of the state of Israel.
• c) It created a unified Arab-Palestinian state.
• d) It resulted in the partition of Palestine.

Answer: b) It led to the declaration of the state of Israel.
Explanation: The British withdrawal from Palestine in 1948 allowed for the declaration of the state of Israel, leading to the subsequent Arab-Israeli War.

• a) It provided military support to Israel.
• b) It negotiated a ceasefire between the parties.
• c) It sent peacekeeping troops to Palestine.
• d) It sided with the Arab states.

Answer: b) It negotiated a ceasefire between the parties.
Explanation: The United Nations played a role in negotiating ceasefires during the war, though it was unable to prevent the outbreak of conflict.

• a) Amman
• b) Cairo
• c) Jerusalem
• d) Beirut

Answer: c) Jerusalem
Explanation: Jerusalem was a focal point during the 1948 Arab-Israeli War. Israel captured the western part of the city, while Jordan controlled the eastern part.

• a) To establish a Jewish homeland in Palestine
• b) To create a peaceful coexistence with Arabs
• c) To spread Jewish culture globally
• d) To establish a Jewish state in Europe

Answer: a) To establish a Jewish homeland in Palestine
Explanation: Zionism was a movement aimed at establishing a Jewish homeland in Palestine, leading to the creation of Israel in 1948.

• a) It proposed a second partition plan.
• b) It imposed sanctions on Israel.
• c) It called for an immediate ceasefire and peace talks.
• d) It recognized Israel as the sole legitimate state.

Answer: c) It called for an immediate ceasefire and peace talks.
Explanation: The UN called for ceasefires and negotiations to resolve the conflict, but the hostilities between Israel and the Arab states continued for years after 1948.